What led to Anil Antony quitting the Congress and joining BJP: 6 points

Anil K Antony, the son of Congress leader A K Antony, who was also the defence minister of India joined the BJP in the presence of senior leader and union minister, Piyush Goyal.

Anil Antony cited intolerant calls to retract a tweet on the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In January this year, he shared his resignation letter on Twitter and wrote, " I have resigned from my roles in Congress - as the convener of KPCC Digital Media and as the national coordinator of AICC Social Media and Digital Communications Cell."

After he joined the BJP, Anil Antony said, "today, several Congress workers and leaders believe it is their 'dharma' to work for a family. My 'dharma' is to work for the country."

What Anil Antony said before resigning from the Congress:

• Intolerant calls to retract a tweet,by those fighting for free speech. I refused. Facebook wall of hate/abuses by ones supporting a trek to promote love! Hypocrisy thy name is! Life goes on.
• However, by now I have been made well aware that you, your colleagues and the coterie around your leadership are only keen to work with a bunch of sycophants and chamchas, who would unquestionably be at your beck and call, Anil wrote in his resignation letter.
• The attacks on me on the social media was the main reason for me to resign after I commented against the BBC documentary.
• I said that is not possible. However, after 8pm, abuses were hurled at me on my Facebook page by many party workers. I have not deleted them. I was disheartened to see the levels to which the party culture has fallen, he said on calls for him by Congress workers to delete his tweet on the documentary.
• Despite large differences with BJP, I think those placing views of BBC, a state-sponsored channel with a long history of prejudices, and of Jack Straw, the brain behind the Iraq war, over institutions is setting a dangerous precedence, will undermine our sovereignty, he said in a tweet.
• No matter whatever internal differences we may have, we should not let that be exploited by external agencies to create division in the country, he had further added.